Where is it easiest to open: Educational Support Services
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 21-1012” (soc) for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 2,110 | 11.2 | $45,180 | not matched | — |
| NY | 966 | 10.2 | $73,140 | not matched | — |
| FL | 796 | 7.6 | $49,422 | not matched | — |
| TX | 727 | 13.3 | $54,797 | licence | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL |
| IL | 468 | 11.9 | $73,626 | exam | COUNSELOR, PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY; LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| PA | 412 | 9.6 | $62,525 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| NC | 385 | 8.4 | $44,413 | exam | Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo; Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo |
| CO | 342 | 10.7 | $106,846 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor; Registered Pyschotherapist |
| NJ | 335 | 32.6 | $74,680 | exam | ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR; CAREER COUNSELOR |
| VA | 332 | 12.7 | $90,136 | exam | Counselors, Professional |
| MD | 330 | 15.2 | $62,063 | licence | COUNSELORS; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| MA | 329 | 15.9 | $64,762 | not matched | — |
| GA | 318 | 4.6 | $49,904 | exam | Associate Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| WA | 296 | 5.4 | $64,312 | exam | Counselor |
| MI | 247 | 9.1 | $48,635 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional; Counselor, Limited Licensed Profession |
| OH | 243 | 11.4 | $54,193 | exam | Certified School Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| AZ | 243 | 16.6 | $69,412 | licence | Standard Guidance Counselor |
| MN | 241 | 11.4 | $52,326 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) |
| UT | 169 | 11.8 | $48,095 | licence | EDUCATIONAL, GUIDANCE, AND CAREER COUN |
| DC | 163 | 31.9 | $98,382 | not matched | — |
| OR | 151 | 19.2 | $91,623 | licence | Professional Counselor; School Counselor |
| SC | 143 | 6.0 | $43,135 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor; Licensed Professional Counselor - Supe |
| CT | 122 | 9.2 | $63,662 | licence | Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor Associate |
| MO | 111 | 7.2 | $55,959 | exam | Professional Counselors |
| IN | 107 | 9.9 | $56,202 | exam | School Services Standard License-Couns |
| TN | 92 | 7.7 | $52,475 | not matched | — |
| LA | 89 | 11.2 | $43,622 | exam | Rehabilitation Counselor, Vocational |
| WI | 83 | 10.2 | $61,671 | exam | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| NV | 78 | 14.5 | $48,999 | not matched | — |
| DE | 76 | 6.4 | $48,070 | licence | School Career Guidance and Placement C; School Elementary Guidance Counselor |
| NM | 72 | 8.8 | $46,203 | not matched | — |
| ID | 60 | 4.1 | $54,660 | exam | Counselors (LPC) |
| AL | 60 | 5.7 | $46,445 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| OK | 56 | 6.2 | $43,974 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional |
| ME | 56 | 17.2 | $65,153 | exam | Counselor, Pastoral; Counselor, Pastoral (Conditional) |
| VT | 54 | 9.2 | $62,688 | exam | Educator |
| KY | 54 | 6.6 | $61,006 | exam | Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Co; Licensed Pastoral Counselor |
| MT | 49 | 4.6 | $42,511 | licence | Counselors/School |
| AR | 49 | 3.6 | $52,596 | exam | Elementary and Secondary School Counse; Employment Counselor |
| NH | 49 | 12.7 | $76,120 | licence | School Counselor |
| KS | 48 | 22.8 | $102,891 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| IA | 48 | 42.6 | $62,663 | not matched | — |
| RI | 43 | 5.3 | $60,201 | licence | School Counselor; School Counselor Supervisor |
| NE | 41 | 54.3 | $25,411 | licence | School Counselor |
| MS | 40 | 5.5 | $52,905 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| HI | 33 | 5.1 | $72,314 | not matched | — |
| WY | 25 | 7.7 | $46,198 | exam | PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| AK | 19 | 9.3 | $52,307 | licence | Professional Counselor |
| SD | 16 | 3.0 | $58,771 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor; School Guidance Counselor |
| WV | 16 | 6.2 | $49,300 | not matched | — |
| ND | 4 | 15.0 | $43,617 | exam | Licensed Associate Professional Counse; Licensed Professional Counselors |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.